2merkato

In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, Ethiopia replaced imports amounting to USD 350 million.

Ethiopia suspended tantalum mining and exports until the country acquires the capability to refine the mineral in a bid to earn more revenues from exports. The decision means that Ethiopia will not export tantalum until the nation has an operating processing plant said Tamrat Modjo, Head of the Traditional Mining Department of the Ministry of Mines.

The government wants to retain enough reserves for when the plant is operational while exploration is underway for more reserves in other parts of the country he said.

It is expected that the processing plant will require an investment of 500 million birr. The government aims to start exporting 1,000 tons a year for the 15 years that the national reserves are expected to last said Tamrat. 

Ethiopia suspended the production of tantalum concentrate at the Kenticha Tantalum Mine. The Ethiopian Minerals Development Enterprise stopped the production of tantalum to support the manufacture of value added tantalum products as per instructions from the Ministry of Mines.

The ban could also be due to the increasing contamination with uranium, a radioactive element, which is making it impossible to ship the raw material.

The uranium contaminated mineral has been mined by local traditional miners with no negative health consequences reported as of yet explained Traditional Mining Department of the MoM.

Several Ethiopian companies are participating in a trade fair being held in Berlin, Germany. The trade fair, which focuses on import-export, opened on March 19, 2019.

Over forty Ethiopian coffee exporting companies, producers and cooperatives took part in the 2019 edition of the Specialty Coffee Expo, held in Boston, USA. The expo, held from April 11 to 14, 2019, is the leading trade fair and networking platform in the coffee industry.